Presently, when one or more air bags are provided in an automobile, the air bag may be stored in a steering wheel, in a seat bottom side or seat back side or door panel or in an instrument panel (i.e., IP) of the vehicle. During automatic inflation of the air bag, at least a portion of the air bag cover moves away from the air bag container to permit the air bag to perform its safety function between its container and the occupant of the vehicle.
A recent practice in the automotive industry is utilization of all plastic fabricated air bag covers. Conventional air bag covers used in conjunction with occupant restraint systems often include various connection systems for attaching the air bag cover to the air bag container.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,661, to Winget, discloses a rigid plate attached to a substantially rigid remainder of a front panel of an air bag cover to define a hollow compartment which, together, move upon manual actuation of a flexible manually operable diaphragm at the front surface of the front panel. Upon separation from the side panel, the front panel, including the diaphragm, the hollow compartment, and a rigid plate move together to permit the inflating air bag to leave the cover. The front panel has a first electrically conductive inner surface for making a circuit path with a corresponding second electrically connected inner surface of the rigid plate.
It is desirable to have an air bag cover which conveys information to an occupant of the vehicle that behind the air bag cover there is a supplemental restraint system (SRS), such as an air bag, which will protect the occupant. This provides reassurance in the form of a reminder that the occupant has extra protection.
Current air bag covers have the phrase "SRS Air Bag" embossed into the front panel of the air bag cover. However, such phrases cannot be seen at night or under poor lighting conditions.